Government of India

SOURCE: E-BOOK ON SUCCESS STORIES RELEASED BY THE PRIME MINISTER ON CIVIL SERVICES DAY 2017

Precision farming, drip irrigation, micro-irrigation – these terms would have fazed any eighth pass farmer. But not Lot Ram, who lives in Bhunter village in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh and that is thanks to the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).

Lot Ram was cultivating tomato and cauliflower through the conventional Kuhal method, in which surface channels divert water from natural flowing streams. But his income was measly.

Things changed when PMKSY was launched. “I was able to construct a 49,000-litre water tank under PMKSY. While the construction was going on, I planted high-grade varieties of pomegranate plants such as Kabuli-Kandhari and Sindhuri, because our land and climate are well suited for the production of pomegranate,” he says.

He was given assistance for installation of a drip irrigation system which ensured 100% survival of plants. He could irrigate his orchard during stress periods and also during flowering, fruit setting, fruit development and the peak period of May and June.

Not only was there a lot of water wastage through the kuhal method, but also water was not available during the peak period. Now this problem was solved. When he had tried growing pomegranate earlier, the yield was very low and he would earn INR 50,000-60,000 per annum.

Now the yield has improved dramatically, and his income has gone up by 4 to 5 times. No wonder, he is all praise for the Scheme,” Our hard work is seeing these results all thanks to the Sinchayee Yojana“. he says.